Friday, February 29, 2008

uncle Kit took offense to nasty KT's statement thatDAP leaders that they are greedy and selfish in contesting in two seats, parliamentary and state assembly, as wanting to collect two allowances of Member of Parliament and State Assemblyman.

Can't blame him.For one, the DAP chaps are not into politics for the money

And secondly,looks who's talking?OKTwho as anMinister gets RM14,907.20and an MP gets RM6,508.59and as acting Health Minister, another salary.and this is just salary. a minimum of RM 21K in the pocket a month.havent even added his allowances in his official capacity

if anyone wants to go into politics for the $$$, they join the BN.Afterall, do you think that a person with this kind of credentialsRun an advertising companyPrivate Secretary to Former Deputy Minister of Culture, Arts & Tourism YB Dato' Teng Gaik Kwan Secretary-General DAPAdvertising and Promotion ManagerTeacher

Journalistcould afford a nice house in a gated community like, say, Aman Suria, if he/she were in DAP?

Monday, February 25, 2008

this has been a regular feature for my breakfast, lunch..... and dinner.

Lulu's been crazily busy because of the elections.

No time to blog.

Am helping out Tony Pua, Dr Cheah and Weng San in their PJU campaign.

crazy-crazy-crazy.....

Last week, as Lulu was walking back to her car from the DAP office where she has volunteered to help, she passed a restaurant and saw people tossing yee sang at their chinese new year gatherings. Lulu had totally forgotten that it was still Chinese New Year :C sad, isn't it?

but you know what?

It will be worth it when the PJ Utara team gets voted in to Parliament and State assembly.

From there, they (and other opposition MPs and SAs) will voice out their concerns on our behalf about the rot in the country.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Lulu was told that when the subject Tamadun Islam was first introduced in the local universities, the authorities placated the public by telling them that the students "only need to attend the lectures"After a while, they brought in exams to the subject. Everyone was given the assurance, "don't need to pass".Time passed. Seasons change [like real...] Orang Malaysia mudah lupa.Today, the subject is compulsory for all 1st year students, there is an exam, and it is compulsory to pass.

the salami principle - doing/taking a slice at a time until it is all gone.It can be used when you have a mountainous task ahead of you, so if you break it down to bite sizes, it becomes more managable and doable.The other way it is used is to take away someone's rights bit by bit until they have nothing left. Not at first take, but bit by bit.

Shop-house churches must get permitsMaria J.DassPETALING JAYA (Feb 18, 2008): Churches in Subang Jaya which have been operating out of shop and factory lots have not been asked to close down, said incumbent Subang Jaya assemblyman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng.“We have not asked them to close down, but to submit their application for permits,” said Lee, adding that such churches have to get a permit to operate from business premises.He said many of the churches which are not on religious land have not applied for these annual permits costing RM1,000http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=20794

today they ask you to "submit your application for permits"tomorrow, you will be at the mercy of the little mullah napoleon to give permission for Christians to come together and worship as a church.And it's not just a Christian issue.Article 11 (1) Every person has the right to profess and practice his religion.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Well, for those who may not be able to assist for a large part of our campaign in Petaling Jaya, but are available nevertheless to assist on voting day, we need you to become polling and counting agents for the day.A short brief on the roles can be found here

We will be conducting a training tomorrow Tuesday, 8:30pm at DAP Damansara Utama (map here).Please come!

The sessions planned so far

Tues 8:30pm English

Thur 8:30pm Mandarin

Sat 8:30pm English

all at the DAP DU

Lulu hopes you will come volunteer for this seemingly insignificant, but actually very important role which helps ensure free and fair elections

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Non capisco?but they're all a-b-c's.Per DBKL's rationale on having jawi lettering on roadsigns for the sake of our middle eastern guests

, you should be able to understand Lulu's wishes above.Afterall, they're all a-b-c's and in DBKL's case, ا [alif]s, ب [ba]s and ت [ta]s.

but like the Italian greeting Lulu gave you, when the alphabets are placed together to spell out a word, the meaning is different.for eg, the word "a" in english is to denote one. eg a Prime Minister. a liar."a" in Italian means to. eg a tutti - to everyone

So, DBKL's rationale of having the jawi words for the tourist doesnt make sense at all, because even if they could could read the words, just like how you can read "augura a tutti", they'd not be able to make sense of it.

So now Lulu's wondering...a) the jawi lettering is there for the middle east tourist b) "in line with the Islam hadhari concept adopted by the government" aka Islamisation aka "we are an Islamic state" you-dont-understand-so-shut-uporc) someone is out to make a quick buck.Lulu brought in option (c) because per sassy MP's blog, the roadsigns in Tmn Seputeh had just been changed a few months ago. WHy change twice in a short span of time?The money spent on these roadsigns could have been put to more important, useful and probably urgent usage like "mengisi lubang jalan (potholes), membaiki parit, membina pejalan kaki, memotong rumput dan mengadakan kemudahan lain".

What do you think?Are you a voter in KL?Do you want to vote for people like this senator who has never won an election who is working hand in hand with DBKL on a joint "manifesto"?Do you want to vote in people who have "relationships", "manifestos" and what-nots with your local little napoleon, allowing them to rule like warlords?

Footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

The 'Malaysia Boleh' slogan came about around the time of the Mahathir administration, which saw the country making its mark globally in various fields.Cynical Malaysians have since adopted the term, turning it into a sacarstic remark about some of the more outlandish aspects of Malaysian life.For example, one might say, 'Malaysia Boleh!' after being told that the computer system is down at the Road Transport Department.The term was paraphrased to illustrate Malaysia's wasteful ways by The Age columnist Michael Brackman Malaysia Bodoh Nov15, 2006.

-------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

Footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

On an April 2006 episode of the RTM1 programme Fenomena Seni, Yasmin Ahmad's film was said to be contaminating our culture.One panelist, a film producer by the name of Raja Azmi, said tthere was no need to make films featuring interracial relationships, because, "We already know that this is a multiracial country, and it's been shown before in films. So there's no need to make another film like that.-------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

Footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

In 2000, a bunch of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia students, led by then Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, unrolled a 2km long flag.Three years later, another group of students, this time from the Universiti Teknologi Mara, unrolled a 3.2km long flag.Another group of students has probably unrolled a 5km long flag by now, but no one cared enough to notice.

-------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

[sorry. dinner was a bit "all over the place" last night]Footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

"Malaysia, Truly Asia" is the official tagline for tourism, intending to highlight how all the different cultures of Asia can be found in one country.Which is true, because not only do we have Malay, Chinese and Indian Malaysians, there are Japanese and Korean expats living here, as well as plenty of places you can smoke shisha pipes in Kuala Lumpur.

-------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

This MCA man, Thong Fah Chong, because he lost to Lim Kit Siang in the 2004 elections, would rather see peoples homes flooded than to allow the RM10mil allocation plan for a flood mitigation project to go through.Talk about nasty.If there's a need, then there's a need.How can he even dare to boast of this?Does he really enjoy watching people's heart drop as flood water rises in their homes?Nasty-nasty-nasty.He deserves to lose forever, and ever.Thong Fah Chong. MCA Ipoh Barat. He may have smiled at you when you went back to Ipoh for CNY. Maybe even shoke your hand.And left you to deal with a flooded house.Nasty-nasty-nasty,

And he's not the only one who is nasty like this.Watch out for the nasties and do not fear them.

Footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

In this Ben Stiller comedy, a male model is brainwashed into assasinating the Prime Minister of Malaysia - of course it is banned.It's never quite clear if it's the attempted assasination that's offensive, or the fact that the prime minister looks more like Ho Chi Minh that any of our real-life prime ministers.

-------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

so how? still sitting back and doing the coffeeshop talk?wanna walk the talk? wanna meet Lulu?wanna do something more than just blog or read blogs or comment in blogs? wanna meet Lulu?wanna join Lulu in campaigning for a new MP in PJ Utara? erhh...wanna meet Lulu?If you are interested in joining Lulu's Diet Plan, sms your name and email address to the DAP Hotline 016-2208867 and someone will get back to you. They need your help in dethroning the noodle queen!

Footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

In 2006, Amir Muhammad's Lelaki Komunis Terakhir, despite bring approved by the censorship board, was banned by the Ministry of Home Affairs.The reason cited was that 'the public had protested'.But the public hadn't, actually.

-------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

Footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

After a concert by the pop singer was announced, the 10,000 strong National Union of Malaysian Muslilm Students declared its objection, saying that Stefani's concert is not compatible with Malaysian values.According to an AFP report on Aug 3, Mohamed Hilmi Ramli, the Muslim students' union president said Malaysian youth "would be exposed to moral decay if we continue to allow such concerts to be held in Malaysia. We urge the organisers to cancel this concert or face intervention from our kind of groups".The show did go on after Stefani agreed to compromise, covering her tight-fitting tops in jackets while wearing leotards under her dresses and mini-skirts.No decay of moral variety was reported, though Stefani's sugary pop songs surely did cause some tooth decay.

Poster, once again, from Mob's Crib-------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

Footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

The Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz in his 2006 ruling that the DBKL was correct to charge two students for behaving indecently by hugging and kissing at Kuala Lumpur City Center Park.The students were represented by counsel S. Selvam, unfortunately, and not VK Lingam.

-------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

Footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

While much of the debate in Parliament is about as intelligent as those in the schoolyard, some members of Parliament outdo their colleagues.Badruddin Amiruldin referred to Indian Malaysians as "keeling", a degratory term he insisted was not meant as an insult.Bung Mokhtar and Mohamad Said Yusuf, on the other hand, reached the peak of notoriety when the two rebutted a statement by DAP's Fong Po Kuan (MP for Batu Gajah) by saying that she also leaked every month. That tasteless, if not juvenile remark, earned the two the ire of womens groups, political parties, including those in the BN.

poster from mob-------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

In September 2001, facing a formiable PAS-led opposition, Mahathir declared that Malaysia was already an Islamic state, though the point he seemed to be trying to make is that PAS' aim of settinig up an Islamic state was pointless.DAP took the issue head on, naming it the '929 Declaration', while PAS ridiculed the idea as 'an instant Islamic state, like instant noodles'.In 2007, Deputy Prime Minister, Najib Razak one-upped the declaration, by adding categorically that Malaysia is not a secular state.His unilateral declaration was rejected by members of BN, who openly contradicted him in the media.After much back and forth, the issue was considered closed in the usual way - a gag order.Except for the PM and the DPM, of course.Because they always mean well.

-------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

Footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

In July 2007, the 15th Nuri helicopter crash killed six members of the Royal Malaysian Air Force.The Nuri helicopters were first used in a time when May 13 was the day after May 12 - 1968. That was when the current Deputy Prime Minister's father was holding the same position.Since then, it has killed 70 military personnel and 19 civillians.Despite calls for the helicopter to be grounded immediately after every crash, they are still being used.

-------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

Footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

After the PKFZ scandal broke, a special press conference was held in August.Neither Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy, nor any top ministry officials attended.The minister would subsequently go on a sudden medical leave to Australia as the scandal deepened.

pic source and excellent accompanying article from Malaysiakini-------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1Late 2006, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak officialy launched some toilets in Kuala Lumpur.NOt any regular toilet, mind you but automatic ones that costs RM400,000 each.It was only a few months back that he called for a "toilet revolution", lamenting Malaysian's poor bathroom habits at the launch of the first ever National Toilet Exposition and Forum (NATEF)

A review of the toilet from a user's perspective can be found here------------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

Footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

Maika was established by the MIC in 1982 to allow the Indian community to take a share in the country's eccononic development.A total of RM106million was raised from 66,000 shareholders, many of whom are estate workers who pawned their family jewelleryand withdrew their life savings to invest in the company.After a series of mismanagement scandals, the investors never got to see their money back.

------------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

At the end of 2006, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi officiated the opening of a nasi kandar restaurant in Perth, partly owned by his brother.Problem was, a devastating flood was going on in Johor at the same time, which killed at least 17 people and caused more than 90,000 to be evacuated.The restaurant has since closed.

------------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

Saturday, February 09, 2008

Footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

In response to the many allegations of bribery within UMNO, Supreme Council member and de-facto law Minister Nazri Aziz said the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) has no powers to initiate investigations on reports and charges of money politics and bribery within the party.According to him, offending party members are only answerable to the party's disciplinary board

Pic from Malaysiakini------------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

the Hindraf rally which took place in Nov was not the first time the Hindu community gathered to voice their plight.On Aug 11th 2007, thousands of Indian Malaysians went to Putrajaya on a wet Sunday to tell Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that they should not be further marginalised as Malaysians.The organisers could only relay their concerns through the memorandum to Abdullah's private secretary Ahmad Yaakob as the prime minister was visiting Penang.Lulu doesnt think they got any response.Hence the Nov25th march.

What about the lawyer's march in September?More than 2,000 lawyers and activists shouting “Change, Change, Change” and carrying banners that read Bersihkan Badan Kehakiman (Clean up the Judiciary), “No to Corruption” and Rakyat Hakim Negara (The People are the Judge).The Bar's office bearers then met with the Prime Minister's political secretary Datuk Wan Farid Wan Salleh to hand him two memoranda. One was for a Royal Commission to investigate the authenticity of the video clip while the other was for the establishment of a permanent judicial appointment commission for appointing judges.Wan Farid gave an assurance that Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would look into the memorandum and that he would even arrange a meeting between the Prime Minister and the Bar's office bearers.Till this day, Lulu doesn't think that the Bar Council has had an audience with the PM,and as for the RCI, well... Lulu thinks if you were to compile the transcript into a book, it should be categorised as humor/satire.

ahhh... the Bersih march. Lulu was there.Do you remember what the 4 immediate demands are?

The use of indelible ink

A cleanup of the electoral roll

The abolition of domestic postal voting

Fair access to the media

the government now claims that they have bought the indelible ink.well, have you seen how it will be applied? dont you agree with Lulu that it can be disguised/removed?do you know that because the whatchacallit has not been passed, the usage of indelible ink is optional? you can say no if you dont want it applied on your nail.How can they be so bold as to claim that the electoral roll has been cleaned up when you can find people who would qualify as Guiness Book of Record holders for old age?Domestic postal voting - In Penang, 300 postal voters were still listed under the Second Division Army Base at Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah when the base was relocated to Bukit Gedung in early 2007. So the postal voters should not be voting in Tanjong or Padang Kota anymore.Bukit Bintang has four to five thousand postal voters. The number keeps increasing every electoral revision.Fair access to the media - if you think the papers are bad, wait till you watch the news. Lulu's been following the TV2 Mandarin news at 8pm, and the propoganda disgusts her terribly.

You think he's going to start listening now?Maybe he does listen... to his wife, his son-in-law, the 4th floor datuks and boys, to his Emperor's New Clothes clientele,but definetly not to you or methe 20,000 Hindraf marchersthe 2,000 lawyers and activistsor the 40,000 pleading for Bersih.

Footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

At the Gerakan National Delegates Conference, Abdullah Badawi played the good cop : he asked to be told the truth, a line he uses often in the election campaigns as well.Four days later, the Information Minister, Zainuddin Maidin summonned top media editors to remind them the call for truth did not apply to them.

------------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

Footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

After he admitted to asking the Customs Department to "close one eye" over a shipment of sawn timber exceeding the import limit, MP for Jasin Mohd Said Bin Yusof emphasised that he was "helping a Bumiputera company in trouble".For what it's worth, he was telling the truth.It was his company and he is a Bumiputera.

Pix from kickdefella------------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

Friday, February 08, 2008

Footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

The "Bangsa Malaysia" term was introduced by Mahathir in 1991 as a goal to build a united Malaysian nation.It was only 15 years later that Johor Umno chief, Abdul Ghani Othman, decided that it wasn't acceptable."After 49 years of independance, we should ne more mature and try not to produce nebulous concepts whose origins are not clear," said Ghani."Even if the term Bangsa Malaysia is used, it must only be applied in the context of all the peoples of Malaysia with the Malays as the pivotal race"

poster by mob1900------------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

There are only 20,000 people actively reading blogs, Information minister, Zainuddin Maidin says, without explaining how he arrived at the number."The political bloggers write just for each other to read; they are not a threat," he said.

------------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

The Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) is a much hyped shipping area modelled after the Jebel All Free Zone in Dubai (the same operator was hired to run the PKFZ for 15 years but the arrangement ended on bad blood).Evidence of mismanagement and improper conduct was found throughout the project - including land bought at inflated prices - which overshot its RM1.1 billion budget to reach a total cost of RM4.6 billion.The government has since agreed to bail out the project.

------------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Footnote taken from The Trouble With Malaysia, a Brian Yap essay from the book New Malaysian Essays 1

Datuk Zakaria Mat Deros is the Klang municipal councillor who was embroiled in scandal after scandal in 2006.However, the most visible controversy - it was not hard to see a house with a large koi pond, swimming pool, a mini golf course, 16 bedrooms and 21 bathrooms - was his mansion, built without permits.While smaller structures had been demolished for similar offences, calls for Zakaria's house to suffer the same fate went unheeded.However, he was nice enough to give the media a tour of the house, as well as inviting some 400 orphans to spend one night.

------------------------------------------Note [from Amir's site Postal pre-orders now open]You can pre-order New Malaysian Essays 1 for RM30 each. The price includes shipping anywhere within Malaysia. If you are outside Malaysia, kindly make friends with a Malaysian resident who can then post it to you.You can send the money to my (Amir M's) Maybank account: 014105120512. Once you have done so, send me an email at matahari.books@gmail.com to let me know your address. If you'd like an autograph, let me know to whom it should be addressed :-)Closing date is Thursday, Feb 14. The books will be posted on Feb 15.

New Malaysian Essays 1 aims to be the first of an annual series devoted to longer, original pieces of non-fiction writing.The books takes us from Brian Yap's election-era critique to Amir Muhammad's alternative lexicon by way of Burhan Baki's elegant deconstructions, Aminuddin Mahmud's seminar on branding and Saharil Hasnin Sanin's knockabout ruminations on language before rounding off with Sonia Randhawa's stirring call for national (and therefore personal) self-realisation.[The book is not out yet, so obviously Lulu has not read it yet, so even more obviously, Lulu would not have the insight nor the brilliance to write the summary given above. It was cut and paste from Amir Muhammad's blog]

This month's "Off The Edge", Lulu's favourite magazine, included an excerpt of Brian Yap's essay "The Trouble With Malaysia".It listed a number issues which Lulu, having the memory of a lulu, had almost forgotten.So, Lulu thought the list would make a good read and would list them one by one in a Lulu Breakfast Lunch Dinner Series, three times a day.

The book should be available to the public after the erotic party, and thanks(?) to some datuk publisher, it would cost us RM30 instead of RM36. Do pick up a copy!

However, Lulu, in spite of being the lulu that she is, recalls reading something else just the other day. After she korek-korek-korek, she found what she was looking for.http://www.bernama.com/bernama/state_news/news.php?id=312053&cat=etUmno has distributed the list of 10.8 million voters to all its divisions to facilitate tracing of voters and campaigning in the upcoming 12th general election. The list had been divided according to voters' race and submitted to Umno, MCA and MIC respectively.This was said, not by some anonymous source, but by Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad.

Lulu poses two questions here regarding the integrity of the Elections Commissions.1. EC has proudly and publicly proclaimed that the latest electoral roll only states the number of voters in a particular constituency and not their race.Why is it that the BN has a list which contains the voter's race?If EC did not provide them with the information, who else could have given them that?Is the Elections Commissions independant or not?

2. If Ms Teresa Kok, Member of Parliament for Seputeh, wanted the roll, she would have to pay the EC something like RM400 for the roll for her constituency.If Lulu is not mistaken, there will be 221 seats contested in the coming elections.Did UMNO pay 221 x RM400 = RM88,400 for the list, or do they get it FOC?